The prediction of this match is no-brainer. If England does something out of the ordinary, they will be at the brink of victory, keeping in mind Pakistan's knack of pulling off the improbable. However, Pakistan can draw the series only if they play well as a cohesive team.
Virat Kohli has the knack of taking everyone aback, usually with his swaggering batsmanship. But in India’s third Test against West Indies, he surprised everyone with his decision-making, replacing Cheteshwar Pujara with Rohit Sharma.
If Virat Kohli's trust in him doesn't fade away, Cheteshwar Pujara has to reboot his batsmanship to scoring daddy hundreds, building long innings and doing what he does the best, for he, once, was India’s most dependable batsman in Test cricket.
Everything boils down to what plan Virat Kohli comes up with. Given his aggressive brand of cricket, he prefers having a leg-spinner in his armoury. But, for him to go for the kill and win the series 3-0, he needs Ravindra Jadeja’s services more than Mishra's.
Darren Sammy may not have significantly contributed with both bat and ball in ICC World T20 2016, but his devil-may-care leadership helped the team perform well as a cohesive unit. He injected unity in the team, something that even the board failed to maintain.
Fortune and form change. They take time, but they do change. But, for that to happen, one has to stand the test of time. West Indies, in the second Test against India, did exactly the same.
Roston Chase was adjudged Man of the Match for his magnificent show of character in the second innings.
Rangana Herath has been serving Sri Lankan cricket since 1999. He, then just another slow left-arm orthodox, had a role that of playing a second fiddle to spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan. And, after 17 years, he plays the role that of a match-winner.
Pakistan went 1-0 up in the four-match series courtesy of a 75-run win over England in the first Test at Lord's.
Unlike R Ashwin, Amit Mishra's performance is superior on foreign soil. However, given Virat Kohli's prefers having wicket-takers at his disposal, a leg-spinner has an edge over a finger-spinner.